Meet a farmer who has developed a food supplement based on a protein extracted from green leaves and established North Canterbury's first commercial hop gardens.

Farmers Maury Leyland and John Penno have created a health food supplement based on protein extracted from leafy greens and in particular, locally grown lucerne (alfalfa).

Their company, Leaft Foods, is planning to bring the first products to market next year.

Leaft's team of scientists have developed a food-safe technology that extracts the protein, called rubisco, in a form that is highly digestible for people.

"We're nailing it at yields which are exciting and in a process which is highly circular," Maury said.

The protein is responsible for the process of photosynthesis and is considered to be the most abundant protein on earth.

Most people consume it when eating spinach, kale or other greens, but just not in the quantity that can be achieved following extraction and nutritional processing.

"We're aiming for the higher value uses," she said.

"So everything from high performance sport type applications to middle-aged women like me, who are looking to increase protein in their diet."

Lab results have demonstrated that the extracted leaf protein is as nutritionally viable as animal alternatives, while being easy for humans to digest and allergen-free.

This makes it a potential alternative to wheat and soy-based options.

The Leaft Foods headquarters in Rolleston is very close to the arable farmers who are contracted to grow the Lucerne, that's traditionally used as high energy feed for cattle and sheep.

"It's a highly productive, it's perennial, it fixes its own nitrogen and is deep rooted, so it's drought tolerant," Maury said.

The couple are hoping the extraction process will also provide a sustainable feed replacement on stock farms.

"We're going to be making a silage from the (leftover) fibre. It's protein reduced and macerated, so easy for an animal to digest and has better outcomes in terms of emissions."

Maury, who spent several years on the executive team at Fonterra and John, a co-founder of Synlait Milk, bought Okuroa Farms, a 700 hectares sheep and beef property in 2020.

Farm diversification based on climate change research was on their minds from the get go.

They planted North Canterbury's first commercial hop garden on seven hectares near the Hurunui River and a pip fruit orchard with 20 varieties of apples, pears and cherries…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details